Will Hardy and Joe Mazzulla stood opposite from each other along the sideline two weeks apart. Both had turned 35 this year and were thrust into difficult head coaching positions after playing relatively unknown roles in the Celtics' run to the Finals last year.
While Mazzulla downplayed facing his friend and mentor from one year ago in Salt Lake City, classic Joe by Hardy's description, the Jazz first-year head coach found himself remembering adjustments, game plans and conversations they discussed in team meetings last year. Almost trying to predict how Mazzulla would react to his own moves.
It helped him shock the Celtics, 118-117, earlier this month in Utah. Another win that'll garner Hardy heavy coach of the year love with his Jazz team withstanding roster changes all season to stay within 2.0 games of the west playoff picture in the season's closing weeks. He didn't think about Mazzulla for 48 minutes, he said, but those thoughts did briefly enter his mind.
"This business is hard and these jobs are hard to get, and we're all very lucky to have them," Hardy said before the Celtics beat his Jazz, 122-114, in Boston on Friday. "To be able to have opportunities to coach against friends and mentors or anything like that is super cool. I try not to take those moments for granted. You're locked into the game and you want to win, and I want to beat them and I know Joe wants to beat us, but when you separate from that a little bit, it is cool to see him having the success he's having and them having the success they're having."
Ime Udoka called Hardy shortly after the Celtics hired him as head coach in 2021, trying to swipe the 11-year Gregg Popovich assistant coach as his own. Udoka spent seven years with Hardy on that Spurs staff during his ascent from video intern, to coordinator and then coach from 2010-15. They won the 2014 championship together, and after long conversations with Popovich and his family, Hardy decided to make the leap to start something new in Boston. When Jayson Tatum, who knew Hardy from their work with Team USA, became teammates with Udoka's associate head coach hands-on, he quickly knew Hardy wouldn't last long in Boston. Danny Ainge and Utah's new brass announced Hardy as a bold, young hire late last June after the Celtics lost the NBA Finals, low-key news for the Celtics before anyone knew Boston would suspend Udoka months later, setting up his departure from the team and Mazzulla's ascent from Hardy's replacement to both of theirs.
Hardy, like Popovich last weekend, described Udoka as a good friend whose shoes Mazzulla needed to quickly fill while maintaining the relationships, trust and systems Udoka, Hardy and many close friends from last year's staff instilled in the locker room. Mazzulla became the only main holdover from Udoka's staff, which lost Damon Stoudamire to Georgia Tech in March. While Hardy watched Udoka establish a culture with players who had spent many years together in Boston, Mazzulla focused on how Hardy conveyed concepts to players, brought different groups together and withstood early failure as a teaching moment.
"There was a learning curve with a new staff," Hardy said. "We needed to figure out how to best help them and what situations to put them in. I think we got to a point in the season where we did get healthy and some things started to click on both ends of the floor. We also got some really good play from some really good players and then the belief really started to build, 'ok this is working. We do believe in what we're doing on both sides of the ball,' and it kind of took off from there.
"This year, it's been fun to watch. They're a great team. Ending last year is obviously hard. I don't know what it was like in training camp, because I wasn't here, but I've been part of teams before that lost in the Finals, and then you come back the next year and what that's like to deal with the pain of that, you're that close and the seasons are long, and to get back to that point, the road is long to get there, but this team, when I watch them play, they have everything they need to make a deep run. Joe's a great coach. Those guys all believe in him, they all believe in each other. I know they're a tight-knit group."
After describing why he doubled-team Tatum nearly every time he crossed half court, which Tatum smiled and described as his old coach being an a**hole, Hardy ran into Celtics assistant Matt Reynolds in the hallway, knowing exactly who successfully challenged an out-of-bounds call nine seconds into the fourth quarter with Boston ahead by 15 points. Celtics assistant Ben Sullivan joined the embrace, letting Hardy know Mazzulla made the call himself. Grant Williams remembered that group's bond along the sideline last year, keeping it light by staring awkwardly at Hardy until they both laughed. Williams also had fiery conversations with Hardy, who kept him honest, knowing Williams could take criticism as Udoka built a culture of collective and often public accountability. Udoka always said Williams needed to stay in a narrow, albeit effective role to help the Celtics succeed.
Marcus Smart pointed out the doubles, offensive sets and other coaching decisions Hardy made during Boston's two games against the Jazz as examples of his creativity, which he showed with the Celtics, too. During the NBA Finals, the staff decided to play drop defense against Steph Curry for much of the series, a controversial decision that allowed Curry to go off for 31.2 points per game in the series while Boston focused on limiting others. They turned toward blitzing the pick-and-roll later in the series, which freed up Andrew Wiggins and others to score and beat the Celtics in six games.
Udoka, Hardy and the staff made major strides with the group evident in both their record this season, and how Tatum navigated the constant Utah pressure after it held him to only 12 attempts in the loss on the road. Tatum scored 39 points on 12-for-17 shooting this time, with no turnovers, in Friday's win.
"I've watched a lot of basketball where teams guard him one-on-one, and will adjust later, but if you wait until Jayson gets going, there aren't that many adjustments that are going to work," Hardy said. "Players like that, as a coach, I would like to try to be proactive defensively and not react to them. If you hope with Jayson Tatum, it's not going to go well. I had first-hand experience being with him last year and it is sort of shocking, at times, how few people double-team him, but he's a willing passer and he's a good passer ... he's a special player. They have great players around him. You know, you have to decide how you're willing to lose ... I don't want to watch Jayson play one-on-one and have 50 points."
Across the hallway, former Celtic Kelly Olynyk became the latest beneficiary of Hardy's coaching after not knowing him at all upon arrival on Sept. 26 in a trade from Detroit, part of Ainge's summer of shuffling that left the Jazz with an entirely new roster. Olynyk struggled through injuries in the season with the Pistons and turned 31 this season, nearly 10 years after Ainge first drafted him to Boston. Hardy put the ball in Olynyk's hands often as a play-maker, setting up Olynyk's most successful season yet, averaging 12.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.6 APG on 49.1% shooting while Utah started the season 10-3.
Hardy needed to mesh new and old, a group of veterans like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay, a massive group of veterans, including Lauri Markkanen, Malik Beasley and Collin Sexton coming in from the Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert trades. Rookie Walker Kessler prepared to fill Gobert's shoes alongside Olynyk in the front court. The hurdles seemed so large, and the team turned sharply toward a rebuild, that many predictions expected the Jazz to finish with one of, if not the worst, records in the NBA. Instead, they entered Boston on Friday at 36-40 after trading Conley, Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt before the deadline in February.
"They just threw us together and we're trying to gel on the spot," Olynyk told Boston Sports Journal. "I think (Hardy) did a really good job at bringing people together and creating that cohesiveness on and off the court, but creating that team atmosphere and putting things together ... not only deciding a direction and the way you want to play, and the way the team has been playing, he's been really good at that, filtering guys in and out, and obviously changing and adapting on the fly. He's been really good with that. For us, having him as a stable piece and filling everything in around it helps, and it's shown. Giving me the opportunity and the freedom to be myself, play my game, fill in wherever the team needs me and just putting that trust in me, holding me accountable, making me reliable ... making sure that they know what they're gonna get every single night."
Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...
Atlanta (38-39): De'Andre Hunter's (knee) status, missing two of Atlanta's last four games, further challenged their ability to find establish defensive consistency and a closing lineup in the final weeks of the season. The Hawks will make the playoffs, and Jalen Johnson's return, Saddiq Bey's solid play and rookie AJ Griffin give Quin Snyder options, if not a clear choice, to fill Hunter's position next to the team's guards and bigs. Hunter reached 65 games before this recent ailment, a career-high from the former No. 4 overall pick. Their magic number to clinch the No. 10 seed is two, but their loss to Brooklyn on Friday dropped them into a tie with Toronto for the No. 9 seed.
Boston (54-24): Handed the Bucks one of their worst losses in franchise history to regain standing in the race for the east's No. 1 seed, but the night ended with a flight postponement and arrived in Boston for their back-to-back game against the Jazz about six hours before tip-off. Jayson Tatum, who scored 40 points and expected to rest against Utah, decided to play and poured on 39 more points in a win that pulled the Celtics within 1.5 games back of the Bucks, owning the tiebreaker.
The Celtics face an uphill battle with four games remaining, but gained a tiebreaker after falling 3.0 games back of Milwaukee with a blowout loss against an injured Wizards team on Tuesday. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart shrugged off potentially missing out on the top seed just days after Malcolm Brogdon said the team wanted to pass the Bucks. Brogdon, Brown and Grant Williams visited the White House on Monday. Meanwhile, the NBA and the player's union agreed to a CBA, including minimum number of games played for awards, and a 140% extension raise that could impact Brown's future in Boston.
Brooklyn (42-35): Their magic number to clinch the No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament is four with five games remaining. Wins over the Rockets and Hawks kept them above Miami by 2.0 games, despite only improving to 11-15 since Kyrie Irving last played for them before his trade request, leading to Kevin Durant's. Brooklyn ranks 18th in defense and 20th in offense over that stretch, posting a -1.4 net rating. They probably won't be able to compete in the playoffs without figuring out a consistent rotation and offensive hierarchy, and could become a free pass for No. 3 Philadelphia.
Mikal Bridges' upside makes their outlook more exciting though -- with 42 points over Atlanta improving his Nets average to 27.5 PPG on 50.5% FG.
Charlotte (26-52): PJ Washington, an impending restricted free agent, played spoiler against the west with 21 points and 12 rebounds in the second consecutive win over Dallas, then 21 points in a shootout win over the Thunder. He left the Hornets' loss to the Bulls with a foot injury and could miss the team's remaining four games, following Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Kelly Oubre exiting the lineup late in the year. It's lottery time.
Chicago (37-40): The decline of the Pacers and Wizards will sneak them in the back door of the postseason, likely as the No. 10 seed facing a difficult play-in tournament field. They built a 3.0 game lead with five remaining on Washington, winning 6-of-10 including a big Zach LaVine game in their win over the Lakers, which LA avenged this week in Chicago. There's too much imbalance in this offense, now ranked 24th this season, to hope for much.
Cleveland (48-30): Lost to the Knicks, their almost certain first-round preview, but their 3.0 game cushion on New York for home-court advantage in the series leaves the Cavaliers with a magic number of two. Jarrett Allen (groin) missed his second game in a row while Cleveland struggled to contain Mitchell Robinson on the boards and allowed Jalen Brunson to score 48 points. The Cavaliers rank No. 1 in defense and No. 8 in offense as the season nears its end, an encouraging sign that they could make more noise in the postseason, with Donovan Mitchell's experience a factor. They need to get through a physical New York team, who's likely to hold off Brooklyn and Miami in the race for No. 5, and beat the Cavs in 3-of-4 games this year.
Dallas (37-40): It's make or break time for this capsizing group this week, sitting 0.5 games back of the Thunder for the final playoff spot, though only 2.0 games back of the Lakers and Pelicans in the upper tier of the play-in tournament. The Mavericks lost 7-of-10, falling to the 76ers in a sputtering offensive effort where only Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored double-figures. Irving's role, with the team now 7-10 since his arrival, came into focus this week and while the production looks pretty, Irving's solo minutes fare better, statistically, than his time playing next to Dončić. It's the difficult part of joining a new team next to an all-time high-usage player, and with unrestricted free agency looming for Irving, this could all unravel more. They face Miami and Atlanta on the road before hosting the Kings and Bulls this week.
Denver (51-26): Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid finished in a virtual tie for the MVP award in ESPN's latest straw poll of likely voters during a week where Jokić beat Embiid's Sixers with a triple-double while the latter rested, then sat himself during Denver's losses against New Orleans and Phoenix. The Nuggets only lead the Grizzlies by 2.0 games with five games left, maintaining a magic number of three for home-court advantage in the west. It's enough of a cushion to steal some rest for the heavy-lifting Jokić, but could factor into an all-time difficult decision of whether or not to name Jokić the third straight league MVP, the first to do so since Larry Bird. Embiid received 790 points to Jokić's 788 in the poll, with Jokić winning first place votes, 42-40.
Golden State (41-37): Beat the Pelicans to stay 1.5 games ahead of them and the Lakers, with the ability to win out and avoid the play-in tournament. That won't matter if Andrew Wiggins (personal) can't return for the postseason, with the Kings and Suns starting to emerge as most likely first-round opponents for the Warriors as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed. The Nuggets, Thunder, Kings and Blazers remain on Golden State's schedule, and while no timetable exists for Wiggins to return, Steve Kerr indicated the forward continues to work out daily and that shutting him down for the season isn't a discussion. A 21-game absence ahead of the postseason won't be easy to return from at playoff speed, though, another concern as they try to repeat.
“That’s not the case here at all. I know that Joe (Lacob) would love to keep this thing going," Kerr said, refuting the notion this is the Warriors' version of the Chicago Bulls' 1998 Last Dance. "He’s been incredible in his financial commitment to keep this team strong and relevant for a decade. He’s always committed to that. So I think there’s a really good possibility that we keep things going here.”
Houston (19-59): Beat the Rockets to keep the Spurs, losers of six straight, alive for the second-worst record, an important development for the Celtics, who could claim the No. 33 overall pick from the Rockets if they move above San Antonio in the standings. The Spurs sit only 0.5 games above Houston, and may not win again with five games remaining, which would set up a tie at best between the teams. Indiana receives Houston's second-rounder if it's No. 31-32. The Rockets finish their season against the Lakers, Nuggets, Hornets and Wizards, with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. still active.
Indiana (34-44): Sit 3.5 games back of the east postseason picture after losing 3-of-4 this week. Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) missed nine of the team's last 11 games and could sit for the rest of the season as the team turns its focus toward the lottery, with the same going for Myles Turner (back) and Chris Duarte (ankle). The Pacers are currently No. 7 in the lottery standings, 0.5 games better than the Magic and 0.5 games worse than the Wizards.
Clippers (41-37): They can win out and hold off both the Warriors for the No. 5 seed and an array of teams, including the Lakers, trying to push above the play-in line. Norman Powell (shoulder) is back, helping LA split a mini-series with Memphis, though it's clear nobody can approach Paul George's (knee) impact ahead of the postseason. Nic Batum combined for six points in the pair of spot starts while Marcus Morris lost his starting job and did not play in the Clippers' last three games, a relief to fans frustrated with his consistent presence all year. Ty Lue, who's overseen a challenging year for the veteran team, admitted in a podcast appearance he lost seven family members this season and could not make one funeral due, feeling the need to stabilize his team during a string of losses.
Lakers (39-38): Beat the Bulls to avenge a bad loss earlier in the week before Anthony Davis poured in 38 points and 17 rebounds in a crucial win over the Timberwolves that vaulted LA into a tie with the Pelicans for the No. 7 seed. The Lakers would host the double-elimination game in the play-in tournament if the postseason began today, and they only trail the Warriors by 1.5 games with five to play. Their remaining schedule bodes well, with the Rockets, Jazz twice, Suns and Clippers, setting the Lakers up with a chance to play postseason basketball for the first time since 2021. Davis, however, turned his left ankle stepping on Wenyen Gabriel's foot in Minnesota and played through the ailment, setting up some uncertainty in the closing weeks.
"I knew I was going to play," Davis said, missing no time in the game and powering a 24-2 run after. "Tied the shoes up tighter and just kind of played off adrenaline until the end of the game and was able to get some treatment. But I'll be fine."
Memphis (49-28): Chasing within 2.0 games of the Nuggets for home-court advantage while staving off a Kings rally toward No. 2 in the west that requires the Grizzlies to hit a magic number of four with five games remaining. Memphis beat the Hawks, Magic and Clippers this week, with Ja Morant resting against Orlando and continuing an uneven return, shooting 42.9% from the field and 13.3% from three. They face a favorable remaining schedule though, with only the Bucks above the play-in line in either conference among their final opponents, but Memphis might focus on health.
Miami (40-37): Statistically the most likely first-round opponent for the Celtics given their 2.0 game deficit behind the Nets for No. 6 in the east and their likely home court advantage in a play-in game against Atlanta, Toronto, or less likely, Chicago. It's amazing the Heat may not catch a declining Brooklyn team, but their horrible 129-100 loss against the Nets last weekend handed Brooklyn a 3-0 record and the tiebreaker over Miami. The Heat went on to lose to the Raptors, receiving only two double-figure scoring efforts, before scoring 92 points again in a loss to the Knicks. Their remaining schedule is relatively soft and fear Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra if you may, but this team never approached its 2021-22 form and is not good.
Milwaukee (55-22): They might still claim the No. 1 seed. They might own a more advantageous path to the finals if they do so. It's also impossible to overlook how poorly they've played their top competition in the east, Philadelphia and Boston, with one likely awaiting them in the east finals. The Celtics handed Milwaukee its worst loss ever, 140-99, between the two teams in and claimed a tiebreaker, increasing the Bucks' magic number to four to clinch home-court advantage in the east. Boston beat Milwaukee badly on Christmas, too, and nearly defeated the Bucks on the road while sitting Jayson Tatum. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton's offensive inconsistency remain major hindrances to their offense, while Jae Crowder struggled to stand in front of any Celtics defensively in the thrashing. The Bucks now face a near must-win against Philadelphia to reestablish themselves by 2.0 games.
Minnesota (39-39): Their magic number is three to make the postseason with the Blazers, Nets, Spurs and Pelicans remaining on their schedule. They had won four straight before slip-ups against the Suns and Lakers, with lowlights including a strange Rudy Gobert quote about why he didn't take advantage of an injured Anthony Davis and a wrist fracture for Naz Reid that will cost him roughly six weeks after surgery. Karl-Anthony Towns is playing well since his return though, averaging 21.0 PPG and shooting 44.8% from three on over seven attempts per game. They remain No. 9 in the west, 0.5 games back of the Lakers and Pelicans, with a 1.0 game lead on the Thunder and 1.5 games on Dallas.
New Orleans (39-38): Brandon Ingram won player of the week in the west, dropping a 31-point triple-double on Thursday against the Nuggets and looking close to the budding All-NBA player he resembled last year before injuries derailed this season. He averaged 27.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 7.2 APG on 52.8% shooting in March. The Pelicans beat the Blazers and Clippers, too, staying in the mix in a tie for the No. 7 seed and possibly buying Zion Williamson (hamstring) more time if they can rise above the play-in line. They face a grueling schedule to do so -- facing the Clippers, Kings, Grizzlies, Knicks and Wolves before a tough play-in field if they finish in the bottom four.
New York (45-33): Immanuel Quickley scored 40 points against the Rockets, Quentin Grimes uplifted the offense with 23 points against the Heat and Jalen Brunson delivered a crushing blow to the Cavaliers in a first-round preview. Even though the Cavaliers will still likely own home court in that series, the Knicks' dominance over the Cavs this season shows it won't be an easy matchup in either direction. The Knicks, believe it or not, rank No. 5 in offense this season, with only the 19th-best defense. Their scoring flexibility improved. Can they ramp up the defense enough when Jarrett Allen is available?
Oklahoma City (38-40): Playoffs or lottery? It's too late to turn back now, and a play-in loss still positions them with long, albeit possible odds to move up. They currently own the No. 10 seed by 0.5 games over Dallas and 1.5 games over Utah, with the Suns, Warriors, Jazz and Grizzlies rounding out a difficult closing stretch. The Thunder beat the Blazers and Pistons, but lost costly games to the Pacers and Hornets that'll leave them in a difficult position to beat out the Mavericks for the final playoff spot in the west. Oklahoma City does not control its own destiny, either, tied with Dallas in the loss column.
Orlando (33-44): Paolo Banchero could prove the easiest choice among all the major awards, with the heavy favorite to win rookie of the year approaching the end of his season averaging 20.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 3.7 APG on 42.7% shooting in one of the most consistent first-year campaigns ever. The Magic also own the sixth-best lottery odds for this year and take Chicago's first-round pick as long as it's not top-four, which it likely won't be.
Philadelphia (51-26): They're close to rest time, trailing the Celtic for the No. 2 seed by 2.5 games with five to play while their magic number to solidify themselves as No. 3 is one. It's not a bad place to be, with the struggling Nets increasingly looking like the No. 6 seed by default before Boston looms in round two. Joel Embiid, James Harden and the rest of the team's health mean more than home court against the Celtics, and the No. 1 seed is more likely to flip at this point than No. 2. They would feel better about Milwaukee falling to No. 2, probably, setting up an important game against the Bucks on Sunday. Embiid, averaging 33.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 4.1 APG on 54.4% shooting, is in a virtual tie with Nikola Jokic according to ESPN's latest poll.
Phoenix (42-35): Back like he never left again, Kevin Durant scored 30 points on 11-for-15 shooting in his second game back from an ankle injury that looked like it might've ended his regular season on Mar. 5 in layup lines. The Suns don't have much time to gel before the playoffs and sit in a difficult playoff position, currently lined up against the Clippers or Warriors round one, with a magic number of three to clinch the No. 4 seed and expectations increasing.
“I don’t care about legacy,” Durant told The Athletic. “I used to. I used to want to carve out a lane or space in this game for myself that people can remember, but it’s become too much of a thing now. It just becomes too much of a focus on other people. What’s he done, what’s he done? Comparisons. Before, when we wasn’t doing all this debating, I cared about it … I’m about to be in the same breath as these top guys. It was big"
Sacramento (47-30): Their magic number is one to clinch a top-three seed, an unimaginable finish to a year where they simply hoped to break their record postseason drought, missing the playoffs every year since 2006. They have an outside chance to catch the Grizzlies for the No. 2 seed, closing against the Spurs, Pelicans, Mavericks, Warriors and Nuggets. Memphis needs a combination of four wins or Kings losses to hold them off, but rest will likely also become a priority at some point for Sacramento ahead of a first-round series with experienced teams like the Clippers or Warriors looming.
Toronto (38-39): Nick Nurse made ominous comments about his future before the Raptors' loss to the 76ers, which positioned them in a tie for the No. 8 seed in the east as a disappointing season appears bound for a difficult play-in tournament and first-round opponent. Even with those doors opened, Nurse sounded resigned to his uncertain future in Toronto and that of the roster as a whole now four years removed from their 2019 championship run. The Raptors visit Boston for a two-game mini series this week on Wednesday and Friday.
"First of all, I think when this season gets done, we'll evaluate everything, and even personally, I'm going to take a few weeks to see where I'm at, you know?" Nurse said. "Like you said, where my head's at. And just see how the relationship with the organization is and everything. It's been 10 years for me now, which is a pretty good run. I don't know, over those 10 years we got to be up there in number of wins with anybody in the league. I don't even know where that is, but we've had a lot of big seasons."
Utah (36-41): They're still only 1.5 games back of the No. 10 seed in the west despite losses to the Kings, Suns and Celtics this week, with Jordan Clarkson, Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Rudy Gay sitting in Boston. Will Hardy said Utah is not shutting anyone down despite a report from Shams Charania indicating Clarkson (finger) and Sexton (hamstring) will miss the rest of the season. They finish against the Nets, Lakers twice, Nuggets and Thunder.
Washington (34-43): With Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal increasingly likely to miss the rest of the season and the Wizards now 3.0 games behind the Bulls in the postseason race, Washington appears intrigued by extending Kristaps Porzingis and re-signing Kuzma, who enters unrestricted free agency this summer. The new deals would increase the cost of a roster struggling to draft and develop young talent from the middle of the first round.
